Vegan Chili with Homemade Sour Cream

I grew up helping my dad make his “famous” chili for special occasions like Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. If there was a holiday party going down you can be sure his chili was the main event (often paired with his “famous” Caesar salad and garlic bread – his 3 staple recipes that we ate time and time again). A love of chili is definitely in my blood and rarely does a winter go by when I don’t make a couple batches of it. Of course, my versions are free of animal products, but I can promise you they are just as tasty as the originals (you can also find my version of Caesar salad in my cookbook, by the way).

I have a couple chili recipes on the blog already, but this one is my favourite by far. I see recipes as works in progress; I’m always tweaking and improving the flavour and the method each time I make them. A recipe is never the final word even if it feels that way at the time. Isn’t that what makes cooking fun? I think so. Plus, it gives me a chance to try and improve upon the last batch of photos!

This time I served the chili with a homemade vegan sour cream and now I can’t believe that I’ve been eating my chili without it for all this time. It’s like a creamy ribbon of heaven dispersed throughout the bowl, taking a bit of edge off the spices. Where have you been all my life?

I’m always asked about recipes that freeze well and chili is definitely one of them to prepare in bulk and freeze. It’s also packed with protein and fibre so you really don’t need to serve it with much else if you don’t have time. Sometimes just a crusty roll or crackers will do. It’s a meal that leaves you feeling satisfied for hours and hours.

If you are like us and caught in winter’s wrath yet again this week (nooooooo!), I hope this dish brings you the comfort it’s brought us during this snow storm. Stay warm!

My Favourite Vegan Chili

Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, sugar-free

Hearty, satisfying, and veggie-packed, this vegan chili will leave you feeling full for hours. I recommend pairing it with a big scoop of my homemade vegan sour cream. If you like a really bean-y chili, you can also add another 15-ounce can of beans in addition to the two cans used in this recipe.

Prep Time
30 Minutes

Cook time
30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 heaping cups diced sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 med/lg cloves)
• 2 jalapeños, seeded (if desired) and diced
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 lg. red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 6 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce